SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sure, Devils' coach Pete DeBoer picked up his first career playoff win and Martin Brodeur became only the second goalie in NHL history to win 100 games in the postseason.

But what truly made the Devils feel good about their 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers Friday night was not those numbers. It was key two elements to their success:

1. A winning goal from fourth-line winger Ryan Carter.

"Game-winning goal and probably five or six critical shifts in the third period when our guys were starting to get fatiugued," coach Pete DeBoer pointed out. "We talked between the second and third about the importance of those (fourth line) guys."

2. The ability to hold onto the lead when it appeared to be slipping away. Other teams in this postseason (did someone mention the Pittsburgh Penguins?) haven't been able to do it.

"I thought we were great in the third period," captain Zach Parise said.

Back on Nov. 21, in DeBoer's first game back to Florida, the Devils took a 3-0 lead in tyeh first period and then gave up two goals to the Panthers in the second. They went on to lose that one, 4-3.

"I'm sure it lingered in the back of some people's minds," Parise said.

But this time the Devils held onto the one-goal lead.

"You have to give then credit," DeBoer said of the Panthers. "That's push back by them. Can we handle that a little better? Probably."

On the other hand, everyone was pleased with the way the Devils took the BankAtlantic Center crowd of 19,119 out of the first playoff game in that building since 2000.

"We knew those guys were going to make a push," Patrik Elias said. "I kind of expected both teams to be rusty but we did a pretty good job actually in the first period."

Three goals against Jose Theodore.

"That's how you want to start the first period of the Stanley Cup playoffs," DeBoer said.